Rage level: high

"Just Jeepin'" (macintux)
12/27/2018 at 12:40 • Filed to: None

Two rants: kids and GM.

Kids, get off your damned phones while driving. Watched one punk on the interstate keep braking when he realized he was behind someone, then switch lanes and drive until he was behind someone else. Rinse, repeat.

GM, what the fuck are you thinking? This “put the reverse lights on when the driver leaves the vehicle” thing is the absolute stupidest decision I can remember from any automaker.

They stay on seemingly forever, which means people are sitting there waiting for you to pull out and you’re not even in your fucking car.

DISCUSSION (37)

benjrblant > Just Jeepin'
12/27/2018 at 12:47

GM, what the fuck are you thinking? This “put the reverse lights on when the driver leaves the vehicle” thing is the absolute stupidest decision I can remember from any automaker.

yes. why not the tail lights? maybe the hazards and turn signals? no? too logical?

yah, lets use the ONLY light on the vehicle that indicates it is actually moving to indicate that the vehicle has no driver in it.

CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever > Just Jeepin'
12/27/2018 at 12:59

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

I wish I could kick whoever thought this was a good idea in the nuts.

TheTurbochargedSquirrel > Just Jeepin'
12/27/2018 at 13:00

I used to work in a busy parking lot and GM cars used to drive me up the wall.

BigBlock440 > benjrblant
12/27/2018 at 13:00

Probably because the intention is to light the area behind the vehicle, and the other lights don’t.

KingT- 60% of the time, it works every time > Just Jeepin'
12/27/2018 at 13:03

GM, what the fuck are you thinking? This “put the reverse lights on when the driver leaves the vehicle” thing is the absolute stupidest decision I can remember from any automaker.

Fuck this SO MUCH! The number of times I was waiting behind the car patiently to let them back out, only to see it’s this GM parking light shit. Nowadays I have learned to ignore it on all GM cars

Just Jeepin' > BigBlock440
12/27/2018 at 13:04

Thank you. I couldn’t think of any reason: it’s still stupid, but that helps alleviate my confusion.

Next time, GM, throw some white LEDs under the rear bumper or something.

benjrblant > BigBlock440
12/27/2018 at 13:06

but not the headlights or DRLs? just the tail lamps?

maybe they could’ve used some combination of lights to indicate that the vehicle wasn’t moving, like hazards and reverse ? because in a parking lot reverse lights and no brake or tail lights means someone has shifted into reverse and taken their foot off the brake.

or gm is just doing gm things.

Just Jeepin' > KingT- 60% of the time, it works every time
12/27/2018 at 13:06

I should have small cards printed to leave on GM cars: “please back into parking spots so the rest of us don’t have to suffer.”

CB > Just Jeepin'
12/27/2018 at 13:08

For my old job, the backup beepers were wired into the reverse lights. Went to lock the car at night (after the retrofit) and it started beeping because of this . That was a fun one to show my boss.

Just Jeepin' > CB
12/27/2018 at 13:11

Kinja'd!!!

CB > Just Jeepin'
12/27/2018 at 13:15

There’s a way to go into the settings of the vehicle to change it, but most owners won’t do that.

Just Jeepin' > CB
12/27/2018 at 13:21

Good to know. I don’t mind telling people not to be stupid.

99XJSport > Just Jeepin'
12/27/2018 at 13:22

Lol those GM back up lights piss me off too. I’ll walk behind a traverse and jump back awkwardly only to realize its this dumbass feature

The last stock SC 5speed > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever
12/27/2018 at 13:23

There’s a good chance those responsible lost their jobs right before Christmas so there is that at least.

farscythe - makin da cawfee! > BigBlock440
12/27/2018 at 13:23

but why?

there are few places left on earth where it gets dark enough for that light to be of any real use

(inside the garage with the lights off would be one.... but really... who cant navigate their garage blind)

Urambo Tauro > Just Jeepin'
12/27/2018 at 13:29

I absolutely HATE that misleading reverse lamp function. It might as well be a backup beeper. “Look out, I’m backing up! And guess what else? I DON’T HAVE MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE EITHER!”

Chuckles > Just Jeepin'
12/27/2018 at 13:44

People are more inclined to slow down for those reverse lights, which might be considered good from a pedestrian safety standpoint.

Svend > Just Jeepin'
12/27/2018 at 13:45

I don’t think I’ve ever seen that happen on Euro GM products (Vauxhall/Opel).

BigBlock440 > farscythe - makin da cawfee!
12/27/2018 at 13:54

I’m not sure what you mean by that. There are lots of places, including the vast majority of GM’s home market, that get dark at night. Even in parking lots, lighting can be poor. There’s a reason GM’s the only one that does it, but I could see the reasoning behind it.

WiscoProud > KingT- 60% of the time, it works every time
12/27/2018 at 13:58

I got tricked by this last weekend. Pissed me right off.

farscythe - makin da cawfee! > BigBlock440
12/27/2018 at 13:59

i meant even in the dead of night its rarely so dark i cant see where im going

this is probably just me not seeing the point of why its needed

BigBlock440 > benjrblant
12/27/2018 at 14:05

There’s a reason it’s just GM doing it, but on most of my vehicles, you can turn the car off before the headlights and the headlights (just headlights I think ) will stay lit for a period of time , I assume for the same reason, so you can see.

BigBlock440 > farscythe - makin da cawfee!
12/27/2018 at 14:19

It’s not necessarily needed, but like puddle lights, a convenience feature. How often do you get outside of a city? Lots of dark places, and if there’s no moon and it’s cloudy, it’s going to take quite a while for your eyes to adjust after staring into the beam of the headlights for a while.

farscythe - makin da cawfee! > BigBlock440
12/27/2018 at 14:24

i spent most of my life out in the sticks... so im used to it

(im also blue eyed... apparently that helps after dark)

Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness > Just Jeepin'
12/27/2018 at 16:11

Phones while driving is a people thing, not a kid thing, unless you’re just lumping anyone dumb enough to use their phone while driving in as kids.

Just Jeepin' > Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness
12/27/2018 at 16:17

I’ve seen more young adults camping on their phones on the open highway. Maybe anecdata, but it seems like older people, while stupid enough to use their phones, don’t generally do so nonstop for miles at a time.

Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness > Just Jeepin'
12/27/2018 at 16:40

Around here it’s generally people in their late 30s-50s that are driving for miles with their phones in their faces.

Seems if I glance at the driver of every car I go by, 8/10 are staring at their phone ( generally middle age people ) , the other ones are either so scared behind the wheel their clutching it for dear life or they’re doing something else not driving related.

pip bip - choose Corrour > Just Jeepin'
12/27/2018 at 17:42

gotta love dumb-arse GM decisions

BaconSandwich is tasty. > benjrblant
12/27/2018 at 18:52

White lghts without reverse like this ought to be illegal - except cargo lights on a pickup truck box.

cwa11678 > CB
12/28/2018 at 12:54

You have any follow-up info on that statement? I'm genuinely curious!

cwa11678 > Chuckles
12/28/2018 at 12:55

But now my kids are being trained to walk behind vehicles in the parking lot with these reverse lights on. That certainly can't be a good thing.

krhodes1 > Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness
12/28/2018 at 12:58

I’m pretty convinced that all the trophy-wife luxury SUVs will not actually function unless there is a cellphone clasped to the driver’s (bleached blond) head . And every single one of them has bluetooth these days ...

boxrocket > benjrblant
12/28/2018 at 19:37

Obviously the license plate lights should be used for this. LEDs are more than bright enough to illuminate a dark area, and already white. Using the reverse lights is so boneheaded, and they STILL do it even on new models!!

My Volvo has a button on the key fob to manually turn on (and off) the front and rear parking lights, the side-view mirror-mounted puddle lamps, and the license plate lights all at once ; surely GM has the capability to copy just a third of that effort?!

boxrocket > benjrblant
12/28/2018 at 19:38

Obviously the license plate lights would be best . Modern LEDs are more than bright enough to illuminate a dark area, and are already a functional white color .

boxrocket > Just Jeepin'
12/28/2018 at 19:39

License plate lights. Already there, already white, and not easily confused for something else.

boxrocket > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever
12/28/2018 at 19:39

What if it was a woman?

CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever > boxrocket
12/28/2018 at 19:44

Balls or not , somebody is getting a kicking